Monthly Archives: November 2014

When I first started Khan Academy, I had no idea how many people we would reach. Today millions of people are learning on Khan Academy, but our small team relies on people like you to share our Khan Academy resources with learners across the world. So we’re recruiting passionate volunteers to become ambassadors for the cause. We hope that you might become an ambassador and spread the gift of learning. As a Khan Academy Ambassador, you will have a unique referral code to share with friends, family, and your community. This code will enable you to measure your impact as the people you share Khan Academy with start learning. Become one of our very first Khan Academy Ambassadors .Together we can work to unlock the world’s potential. Sal Khan Founder PO Box 1630, Mountain View, CA 94042 | Our Privacy Policy If you’d prefer not to receive these types of emails from me, unsubscribe here . P.S. I’m looking forward to seeing who will be our greatest Ambassador. Could it be you?

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Last December, our friends at Code.org launched the Hour of Code. This year we are excited to offer a bunch of new ways for students to participate! Start planning your students’ Hour of Code What is the Hour of Code? The Hour of Code is an hour-long introduction to computer programming designed to demystify coding and show students that everyone can learn the basics. At Khan Academy, we’ve crafted several custom-made tutorials for your students that require no prior experience. Hour of Drawing with Code : Students will learn to program using JavaScript, one of the world’s most popular programming languages via two great options: Drag-and-drop: block-based coding for younger students with less typing skills and students on tablet devices (ages 8+). Typing: keyboard-based coding for older students (ages 10+). Hour of Webpages : Students will learn to make their own webpages using the basics of HTML and CSS (ages 10+). Hour of Databases : Students will learn the fundamentals of databases using SQL to create tables, insert data into them, and do basic querying (ages 12+). Last year, 15 million students tried computer programming for at least one hour during Computer Science Education Week on Khan Academy and other platforms. This year, our goal is to reach 100 million students. Let’s join Microsoft, Google, Apple, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Malala, and millions of others around the world to make history. Start planning your Hour of Code today! Pamela Fox Computer Science Content Engineer PO Box 1630, Mountain View, CA 94042 | Our Privacy Policy If you’d prefer not to receive these types of emails from me, unsubscribe here . P.S. Start planning your Hour of Code on Khan Academy !

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Expeditionary Learning National Conference this December … > http://elschools.org/nationalconference > > 2014 National Conference > > > Registration is closed. See you in Boston! > Click here to view the master class catalog. > Dates: Sunday, December 7th – Tuesday, December 9th, 2014, with an optional pre- > conference day on Saturday, December 6th, 2014. > > Hotel Information: Rooms are available at the Sheraton Boston Hotel at the rate of $159 per night (+tax). The Sheraton will honor this discounted rate until November 10th, or until all of the rooms in the block have been filled. > > Please make your reservation online or call 1-617-236-2000, and identify yourself as part of the Expeditionary Learning (or EL) 2014 National Conference. Reservations must be made by November 10th to secure the group rate. Please contact Laura Maruca at lmaruca@elschools.orglmaruca@elschools.org> with any questions or concerns about booking a hotel room. > > Conference theme: Independence: Preparing Leaders of Their Own Learning > > To build a better future, we need to equip students with the independent skills for college, career and civic life. That’s why the Common Core State Standards cite independence as the first disposition of college and career readiness. Long before the Common Core State Standards raised the importance of independence, Expeditionary Learning schools have been supporting students to be self-reliant, innovative and to persevere – to be leaders of their own learning. Today, Expeditionary Learning’s Common Core curriculum and resources place independent, productive struggle with challenging text at the heart of learning. > > Our three-day conference offers a mix of interactive master classes, structured discussion groups, regional gatherings and discussions focusing on a wide variety of topics to support and inspire school and classroom leaders. > > Highlights of the conference: > Keynote speech by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and noted expert on science and math education with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. > Keynote speech by students from Casco Bay High School on Closing Day, Tuesday, December 9th at close of session, from 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM. > Pre-conference events: local school visits, slices of science and humanities-based learning expeditions that immerse participants in fieldwork/research and other pre-conference offerings to help educators deepen their understanding of Expeditionary Learning. Schools can purchase slots for the National Conference and Pre-Conference day as part of their Cooperation Agreement with Expeditionary Learning. Click here for a full list of pre-conference day offerings. > > Registration: Registration is closed. Click here to view the master class catalog. > > For Expeditionary Learning member schools (schools contracted with EL) refer to your school’s Cooperation Agreement to determine the number of National Conference slots contracted. Arrangements can be made to purchase additional slots by communicating with your School Designer or Regional Director. > > The out-of-network fee to attend the three-day National Conference is $1,100 per person, for in-network participants, the fee is $800 per person. The Pre-conference Day is $200 per person. Pre-payment is required. > > For general questions, please contact Patty Mengel at pmengel@elschools.orgpmengel@elschools.org> > For registration questions, please contact Laura Maruca at lmaruca@elschools.orglmaruca@elschools.org> > > Click here to watch the 2013 keynote speech by students from Polaris Charter School. >

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November 23 rd, 2014 <> Upcoming STEM-H Educator Grant Opportunities Youth Garden Grants Apply for this award Application deadline December 5 Twenty (20) awards will be offered this year to support programs in the United States. Eligibility – Your school or organization must plan to garden in 2015 with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. The selection of winners is based on the demonstrated relationship between the garden program and education related to the environment, health and nutrition issues, character education, and entrepreneurship in the United States. Grant packages – This year we will present awards to 20 schools or youth programs. 20 programs will receive a $500 gift certificate to the Gardening with Kids online store, curriculum, a generous donation of seeds, a pair of garden gloves, a window box fromWindowbox.com , and plant starts from Bonnie Plants, and an Ames tool package. The top ten winners will receive a raised bed from New England Arbors. ACH-Hach Professional Development Awards Apply for this award Application deadline December 15 The ACS-Hach Professional Development Grant supports high school chemistry teachers as they identify and pursue opportunities that advance their professional development and enhance the teaching and learning of chemistry in their classrooms. Eligibility – Applicants must be a high school chemistry educator teaching in a U.S. or U.S. territory school. Grant – Teachers can request up to $1,500 to fund the professional development opportunities that will improve their professional skills and student achievement. Including – Conference or workshop registration fees, Travel expenses, Tuition and educational expenses for new/upcoming courses, Books and online instructional resources Shell Science Lab Challenge Apply for this award Application deadline – December 19 The Shell Science Lab Challenge gives you an opportunity to share your exemplary approach for a chance to win a school science lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. Eligibility – Applicants may be individual teachers or teams of teachers of science in grades 6-12, in the United States and Canada, representing their schools. Package – One Grand Prize Winning School will receive a lab makeover support package valued at $20,000; 4 National Finalist schools will each receive a lab makeover support package valued at $8,500; 18 district winner schools will each receive a lab makeover support package valued at $3,000; and more. <> Here Comes the 2015 Southwest Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Download this PDF for information and to register: 2015 Southwest Junior Science Symposiu m <> The STEM-H Center Scientific Equipment Lending Library Offers Amazing Resources Available to Students, Teachers, Schools and Community Groups __________________________________________________________________________________ Central New Mexico Science Olympiad 2015 Saturday, January 31st University of New Mexico, Johnson Center What is Science Olympiad? The Science Olympiad is a national, non-profit, tax exempt organization, devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition of outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. These goals are achieved by participation in Science Olympiad tournaments, incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom curriculum and attending teacher training institutes. Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal. Registration Deadline Teams MUST REGISTER <> with the New Mexico State Science Olympiad – we do not register students here at STEM-H CORE. To register a team in the New Mexico State Science Olympiad, you must complete a registration form available at: http://infohost.nmt.edu/~science/olympiad/ STAY CONNECTED Use the Coupon Code NMSTEM and receive 5 % off and free shipping on all orders. As part of a collaborative partnership between NM STEM Connection and STEMfinity.com , we are happy to offer this coupon code to use at checkout to receive 5% off and free shipping on all orders! This offer is valid only at <>www.stemfinity.com . Please note a portion of the proceeds from sales using the NMSTEM code will be donated to the STEM-H Center for the NM STEM Connection website’s ongoing development & maintenance costs!

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Vote for your favorite in SmartBrief’s 1st Educators’ Choice Content Awards SmartBlog on Education this year launched a monthly Editor’s Choice Content Award, which recognized the best content written by educators, for educators. SmartBrief Education editors and writers sifted through thousands of sources, reading a variety of content, including blogs and commentaries written by you and your peers. Our editors selected the two best original content pieces each month and posted them on our blog . Now we need your input! Select the original content piece from the list below that made an impact on you, challenged you to think outside the box, and inspired you. The two with the most votes will be named the Educators’ Choice Content Award winners of 2014. Enter by December 10. Winners will be selected and announced in mid-December.

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Dear Principals and K-12 Education Leaders, Innovate+Educate and the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation are pleased to announce the launch of our “Teachers and Technology” competitive grant program for K-12 school teachers within the CenturyLink service areas who demonstrate an innovative use of technology with students. We hope you have a minute to check-out this great opportunity and/or share it with your teachers, which would directly benefit the students in your classrooms. Below is more detailed information regarding the grant and eligibility, and enclosed is a flyer that you can use to spread the word! The application can be found at: http://innovate-educate.org/centurylink-presents-teachers-and-technology-competitive-mini-grants For questions, please contact Samantha Garza at sgarza@innovate-educate.orgsgarza@innovate-educate.org>. Purpose of Grant The purpose of this grant is to: Improve student learning experiences in the classroom; Recognize New Mexico teachers who are using technology in innovative ways with students; Increase an awareness of how teachers are using technology in the classroom; Model best practices with technology integration improving student achievement. Eligibility All K-12 public, private and charter schools within CenturyLink ILEC service areas will be eligible for the program. Grants are to be utilized by teachers to benefit the students in their classrooms. CenturyLink service is neither required nor considered in review of applications. Purpose of Grant The purpose of this grant is to: Improve student learning experiences in the classroom; Recognize New Mexico teachers who are using technology in innovative ways with students; Increase an awareness of how teachers are using technology in the classroom; Model best practices with technology integration improving student achievement. Eligibility All K-12 public, private and charter schools within CenturyLink ILEC service areas will be eligible for the program. Grants are to be utilized by teachers to benefit the students in their classrooms. CenturyLink service is neither required nor considered in review of applications. Samantha Garza Program Specialist, Talent Marketplace Innovateducate sgarza@innovate-educate.orgsgarza@innovate-educate.org> www.innovate-educate.org 505.238.8466 NMTIE-flyer.pdf

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PARCC has continued the efforts to receive feedback from educators using #askPARCC hashtag and it may be helpful to also include @PARCCplace

This gives educators an important forum in which to express concerns and ask questions about the solutions to those concerns! Information below.

Begin forwarded message:

PARCC Twitter Office Hours Focused on Access for All

PARCC continued its series of monthly twitter office hours last week with a focus on PARCC’s accommodations and accessibility features in honor of Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. Participants shared resources and had questions answered by PARCC accessibility experts. In case you missed it, we have archived all of our office hours sessions.

Our next office hours session will be held on November 20, 2014 from 5-6 ET. PARCC will announce the date and topic for office hours each month through the PARCC Updates newsletter, Twitter, and Facebook.

We would love to hear your suggestions for future office hours topics. Tweet us @PARCCplace using the hashtag #askPARCC. More >>

In groups of three, student teams pushed their cardboard boats into the murky water and nervously worked together to row out to a deeper part of the lake. With each shifting movement the uncertainty showed on their faces as the cardboard and packing tape contraptions strained under the weight of the three amateur sailors. Students called out directions to one another to keep these team-designed boats afloat. Hundreds of other students from the school, along with local media, stood on the shore cheering every moment.

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The Executive Board, along with the Executive Committee, are pleased to present to the General Membership our newly updated website. We have been working hard to find new innovative ways for our New Mexico Council to have more opportunities to network with other math teachers across the state. We have implemented Social Media sites through Twitter and Facebook, we are working on our Linked In, and we are looking at Pinterest as well. Now through this hard work and effort we are ready to unveil a new and improved website. Some of the new features will include:

Ability to post to a blog
Ability to pay for your membership online through Paypal
Links to useful websites
Links to our social media sites
More current information

This is a work in progress so please be patient as we work out all the glitches. We are extremely happy to offer this to you and hope that you will be equally as pleased with our efforts.

These changes are part of a greater website redevelopment effort by the NMCTM … please visit www.nmctm.org where you can now create accounts on our website, and pay dues annually online … member only benefits such as creative WikiSpaces coming soon so we can share PARCC and CCSS resources, etc.

If you have any difficulties using the above links, please email me at oemb1905@nmctm.org. Please allow 24-48 hours for approval and assistance as I will busy at the conference this weekend.

You have three months to complete the migration to the new listserv after which point it will be deleted. Thanks for understanding and thanks to Sheila Hills for her patience during this migration.